Collector for automobile exhaust system



June 23, 1970 J. KNOX, JR

COLLECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILE EXHAUST SYSTEM Filed June 24. 1968 .W Ky 02w 6TX N i J A United States Patent 3,516,247 COLLECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILEEXHAUST SYSTEM Leon J. Knox, Jr., Los Angeles County, Calif., assignorto California Tube Products, Inc., Burbank, Calif. Filed June 24, 1968,Ser. No. 739,515 Int. Cl. F02b 27/04 US. Cl. 60-32 2 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE The tuned exhaust system includes a header pipeappropriately connected to receive exhaust gas from each cylinder and isof predetermined length. The outer ends of each header are receivedwithin a one piece collector having internal conduiting means to conductexhaust gases via a single outlet opening to a muffler and tail pipeassembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains generally toautomotive exhaust systems, and, more particularly, to a coupling unitor collector for relating a plurality of tuned exhaust headers to amuffier and tail pipe assembly.

It is conventional to provide separate conduits or header pipes forleading exhaust gases from the individual cylinders of an internalcombustion engine to a muffler and tail pipe where each such header pipeis of prescribed capacity and length to permit optimum operation of theengine. Such tuned exhaust systems rely essentially upon removing theexhaust gases without increasing the exhaust pressure which wouldadversely affect the engine horsepower. More particularly, in asatisfactory tuned exhaust system as exhaust gas from one cylinder isbeing removed, a reduction in internal pressure below external airpressure is achieved which aids in the removal of the gases from thecylinder that is next in order to fire. This effect is frequentlyreferred to by the term scavenging.

Tuned exhaust systems have been of necessity constructed in complicatedconfigurations, with the various individual header pipes being connectedtogether by Welding, which can be both expensive as well as difficult toaccomplish. In explanation, the problem essentially in making a tunedexhaust system. is to provide a precise length of header pipe for eachcylinder in order to produce the above mentioned pressure reduction onthe removal of exhaust gas to assist in removal of exhaust gas from theother cylinders, and this can necessitate a relatively long pipe foreach cylinder. These header pipes must,

therefore, be bent into curved configurations to keep them within aconveniently sized volume available in the automobile. It is alsodesirable that the precisely measured length header pipes, which arefolded about One another,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION By the practice of the present invention thereare provided a plurality of individual header pipes of prescribedlength, one end of which is connected via a fitting to the exhaustmanifold to receive the exhaust gases from the respective cylinders. Aone-piece cast collector is provided 3,516,247 Patented June 23, 1970"ice with openings for individually receiving the other ends of each ofthe header pipes therewithin for conduiting exhaust gases to a singleoutlet to exit to the atmosphere.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 illustrates a tuned exhaust system ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the exhaust collector of the inventionproviding interconnection of the header pipes.

FIG. 3 is a further sectional view of the exhaust collector of FIG. 2taken along the line 33.

FIG. 4 is another sectional view of the exhaust collector taken at anangle of to that of FIG. 3 and along the line 4-4 in that figure.

FIG. 5 is a slightly reduced depiction of the exhaust collector of theinvention viewed directly into its outlet.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 of the drawing shows, instylized form, an internal combustion engine identified generally as at10 which for purposes of description here will be considered to havefour cylinders. Each of the cylinders is provided with an exhaustmanifold and appropriate outlet fittings as shown at 11 and 12. Onto thefittings 11 and 12 there are connected exhaust conduiting means orheader pipes 13-16, via appropriately dimensioned matching fittings 17which are only illustrated for the header pipes 13 and 14. Each headerpipe is constructed of a length and internal volume precisely determinedas will be described further below. Also, for convenience of placementand to conserve space, each of the header pipes is formed into a curvedconfiguration reducing the total length of extension and therebyutilizing optimally minimum space.

The outer end of each header pipe is received within an appropriatelysized opening in a collector 18 having a single outlet from whichexhaust gases are directed into the atmosphere.

It is the general principle and theory of operation of the present tunedexhaust system to receive exhaust gases from each cylinder via theassociated conducting means or header pipes 13-16 and direct the gases,as they are sequentially received, into a mother and tail pipe assembly19 without producing an increased pressure against which any othersubsequent exhausting gases would have to move. In fact, the variouselements of the exhaust system coact in such manner that as exhaust gasfrom each cylinder leaves the tail pipe 20 it produces a reducedpressure within the collector 18 which enhances scavenging of gasseswhich are at that same time entering a header pipe from the cylindernext in firing order. It can be shown that by reducing the pressureagainst which the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine mustmove, a corresponding increase in horsepower of the engine is achieved.

Turning now particularly to FIG. 2, the collector means 18 is seen to beof one-piece construction with walls defining four externally directedopenings 21-24 for receiving, respectively, the outer ends of headerpipes 13-16. These openings are arranged in two pairs which are alignedand which face upwardly away from each other with their axes generallyin the same plane and with the inner ends of the header pipes abuttingagainst shoulders 25 formed on the inner walls of the openings. By meansof this internal shoulder, uniformity in the total length of path theexhaust gas must follow is maintained for each header pipe.

Referring also to FIGS. 3 and 4, each entrance opening 21-24 is seen toopen into a separate passage or chamber, with all such chamberscommunicating with a single outlet. For example, the gases exiting fromheader pipe 21 pass into a chamber 26 formed by a curved outer wall 27that is integral with front and side inner walls 28 and 29,respectively. These walls act upon pressurized exhaust gas movingoutwardly of the header pipe 21 into the chamber 26 to direct it towardthe viewer in FIG. 2.

Each of the chambers into which the headers empty via respectiveopenings 2124 has a common outer back wall 30 and otherwise is identicalto 26. Also, all of them are in communication with a common exit fitting31 whose exit orifice 32 is indicated in dashed line depiction in FIG.2. This outlet opening 32 has its axis perpendicular to the plane of theaxes of the inlet openings 2124, and is centrally located relative tothe inlet openings. As best shown in FIG. 2, the exhaust gas coming fromany particular header pipe enters into the exit ori-fice 32 through itsown quadrant with the walls 28 and 29 restricting the gas movement intoother chambers 26. This feature is further depicted in FIG. 3 where thewall 28 is seen to extend outwardly away from back wall 30 betweenadjacent chambers 26 for deflecting and directing gases into the exitorifices 32.

In operation, engine exhaust gases are provided via the different headerpipes in a sequential manner depending upon the particular firing orderprescribed for the engine. The volume capacity and total length of eachheader pipe and collector 18 is such that at some predetermined rotativevelocity of the engine exhaust gas provided from a particular cylinderis emerging from the tail pipe 20 at substantially the same time thatthe exhaust valves of the cylinder next in firing order are opening. Inthis manner the interior portions of the header system are periodicallyplaced at a lowered pressure, scavenging exhaust gases and therebyenhancing operation of the engine and increasing its power. The exacttotal length of conduiting for the exhaust gases must be determined foreach type of engine in order to produce optimum results.

By the practice of the present invention the previously encounteredditficult and complex manufacturing welding operations to relate aplurality of header pipes into a common conduiting system has beenavoided. It is now possible to construct the headers of appropriatelength and configuration with plain ends that are simply received withinthe openings in the collector 18. Additionally, it is possible throughpractice of this invention to replace any one header pipe that maybecome damaged by merely removing the bolts retaining the fittings 17and 11 to one another, remove the end of the header pipe from thecollector and substitute a new one. Such a substitution was simply notpossible in prior art systems since the entire complex of piping was ina single integral 4 unit and damage to any one part meant that theentire assembly had to be replaced.

What is claimed is:

1. In a collector for an internal combustion engine exhaust systemhaving four header pipes terminating in outer ends arranged in twofacing pairs with the axes of the outer ends of all four header pipes ina common plane and with the outer ends of the header pipes of one pairin alignment with the outer ends of the respective header pipes of theother pair, the combination of:

(a) a one-piece body provided therein with four inlet openingsrespectively adapted to receive therein the outer ends of the headerpipes;

(b) said inlet openings having their axes in a common plane and beingarranged in two pairs which face outwardly away from each other;

(c) said inlet openings of one of said pairs being in alignment with therespective inlet openings of the other of said pairs;

(d) said body further being provided therein with a single outletopening having its axis perpendicular to said common plane of the axesof said inlet openmgs;

(e) said outlet opening being centrally located with respect to saidinlet openings so that said inlet openings are symmetrically arrangedabout the axis of said. outlet opening;

(f) said body being provided therein with passages respectivelyconnecting said inlet openings to said single outlet opening; and

(g) said passages including curved walls providing for smooth flow ofexhaust gases from said inlet openings to said single outlet opening.

2. An exhaust collector according to claim 1 wherein said body isprovided at the inner ends of said inlet openings with outwardly facingshoulders against which the outer ends of the header pipes areabuttable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MARK M. NEWMAN, Primary ExaminerD. HART, Assistant Examiner

